


Heaven sent Tragedy

by Reflet271



Category: Helluva Boss (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, How Do I Tag, angel reader, male reader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:01:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27536476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reflet271/pseuds/Reflet271
Summary: As an angel, you had a duty to carry out once a year. Problem is, you didn't agree with it. Your second trip down into the underworld ends up becoming a permanent stay instead after an incident with another angel. Following that, you soon find yourself going to and from earth under the employment of a highly dysfunctional family. Maybe you should've stayed in heaven...
Relationships: Millie/Moxxie (Helluva Boss)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 39





	1. Mistake

**Author's Note:**

> Heavily inspired by A Halo sent to Hell. Go check that out as it's much more fleshed out than anything I can write.

“Come on! Just this once?”

“I already told you, I’m not gonna take part in the cleansing!”

“But why not?” You harshly jerked your arm away from the angel gripping your toga sleeve. 

“Because!” You snap back irritably. The angel frowned. 

“You know I can’t keep covering for you, right?” You grit your teeth. Ever since you had died, you had been trying everything you could to figure out why you were given a chance to live in a paradise like Heaven. At first, you were genuinely glad you were able to see people you knew and loved again. But that vision was soon erased once you saw what everyone did. You still remembered the first-and only-time you took part in the cleansing.

* * *

_“Over here! Got another sinner!”_

_“He’s mine!” You stood stock still as you watched blurs of white and black maim and kill what must have been countless people. Or former people you suppose. A light tap on your shoulder made you blink, and you turned around to see another angel staring at you quizzically, their mask of smiles smeared red like the landscape._

_“You alright? I figured you of all angels would be glad to kill these sinners.” You stared numbly past the winged angel as another skewered a demon on his lance. The red stained it a dark crimson you’d never guess it came from a holy being._

_“...Is this really what Heaven does every year?” The angel stepped back as your eyes slowly narrowed._

_“Oh, don’t tell me you sympathize with these fiends.” You grunt once, stepping back and opening up your wings._

_“I’m not. I just think this whole cleansing is a lot more dirty than I can handle.” You spat, taking off. As you soar into the polluted air, you gaze at the ensuing conflict. Scores of bodies riddled the city. Other angels like you were also flying in the air, lower to the ground and searching for their next target._

_You felt sick._

* * *

You're brought out of your musing when the insistent tugging comes back. Glaring again, you remove the hand clinging onto your sleeve. 

“Ahem.” And groan when you recognize that particular throat clearing. Turning around, you greet the unamused face staring down at you with a nonchalant wave. 

“Hey boss, need something?” She gave you an eye roll, handing you a slip of rolled up paper.

“You’re needed for this year’s cleansing.” She stated, and without so much as a goodbye, left you alone again. You eyed the piece of paper with disdain, unfurling it and reading the contents within. 

_We are aware of your continued attempts to avoid the cleansing. As a final warning, you must partake in the cleansing set later today. Failure to comply will result in harsh penalties. Do not disappoint us. -Council of the Heavens._ Snorting, you tore the paper and threw it over the clouds, watching it sink below. 

“Why’d you do that? If they find out you skipped again they’ll-” 

“Calm down. I know what they’ll do. Which is why I’m gonna be a good angel and follow orders.” Your fellow angel blinked. 

“R-really?” You nodded. 

“Even I know not to cross the high council.” You said, turning away to get prepped for the cleansing. You eyed several other angels excitedly whooping and cheering as the clouds began to part and reveal the hole that led to Hell. You grabbed one of the weapons they handed out to everyone participating, checking it over once. The pristine shine of the blade wouldn’t last very long…

* * *

Again you watched as demons ran away from the angels, and again you watched as they failed and were slaughtered. The weight of the hilt in your hands felt much heavier than it had ever been. While this was your second time joining the cleansing, you had already built a reputation of being too soft-hearted for the sinners. It was shown when you returned from the first cleansing with a drastically lower kill count than everyone else. You slowly made your way around the city, stepping over dead bodies and grimacing at the various wounds inflicted upon them. 

“Some cleansing huh?” you muttered, turning the corner of a street. As you did, you heard a rather shrill cry, prompting you to look further ahead. Two small imps, a male and a female, with the male covering the other against a wall stained red. Looming over them was an angel, one of their blades soaked in the same liquid. The angel lifted their clean blade, poised to strike. 

“Hey!” And paused when they heard your voice. They turned their head slightly towards you. 

“Well if it isn’t the chicken!” Your eyes narrowed as the angel took off their mask, revealing a smug grin underneath. 

“Damien…” You groused, approaching the trio. 

“What’s the matter, too afraid at the sight of blood to kill some sinners?” He cackled, zipping the edge of one blade to the female imp’s throat. 

“Don’t you fucking dare!” The male imp shouted, only to be met with a harsh smack with the blunt side of the blade from the unmasked angel. 

“I don’t remember asking you sinner!” He barked, turning back to you with a toothy grin. “So, how many have you killed so far?” You look away, refusing to answer him. He eyes your pristine blade, and guffaws. “ _None_? You do remember where we are, right? Hell? You know, the place where all the bad people in life go?” Glaring, you fire back at his question.

“So why aren’t you one of them Damien?” 

“Hah! You know the answer to that one. Unlike these chumps, I actually was a good person in life!” 

“Sure doesn’t look like it to me. Or any of the angels down here for that matter!” Damien blinked, his smile slowly fading into a frown. 

“What, don’t tell me you actually think these sinners deserve mercy or something?” 

“No, but I am questioning why we do this every year.” 

“Don’t play dumb. You know the rules; Hell gets overrun with these freaks and it's up to us to clean them out once a year!” 

“But why-” You stop to avoid being skewered by a stained blade flying at you. “What are you-”

“You think you’re the first to question why we do this every year?” Damien says, forgetting the imps he had pinned in favor of marching close to you. “We get people like you all the time. Defectors who can’t seem to understand that sinners are in Hell for a reason.” He gazes at the carnage around the city. “I should’ve known that you’d end up being one of them. The Council doesn’t say it out loud but we have a name for softies like you.” You jump back as he swings his remaining blade close to your neck. “We call you _Abnormalities_.” He says, lifting a hand. You flinch and cover your cheek as pain suddenly erupts from it.

Removing your hand, you notice it was covered in blood. “Pay attention, sinner sympathizer!” You look up as Damien suddenly leaps up, using his wings to propel himself towards you. The cut on your cheek is forgotten as you grip your blade with both hands in order to stave off the twin blades bearing down on you.  
You notice the stained blade had a brighter hue of red on it. The cut on your cheek throbbed once as you shoved with all your might and backpedaled, Damien hot on your trail. 

“What the hell are you doing?!” 

“I’m doing Heaven a favor by removing you! No one will argue with me when I tell them you died fighting an Overlord!” You narrowly avoid another swipe from the angel, blocking the other sword in his hand and kicking his feet from underneath him. As you do, you eye the two imps behind Damien. With a head jerk, you motion for them to flee. They stare in shock for a moment, watching two angels fight each other. Again, you jerk your head, and they finally get up and leave. 

Damien notices your erratic head motions, turning around and seeing his prey run away. He turns back to you with a scowl that looks nothing like what one would see on an angel.

“Guess you really do believe they can be saved.” He says, before launching into another set of attacks. Thankfully, you begin to see a pattern in the way Damien fights, adapting to a wait and counter style in order to fend off his attacks better. When he tires, you manage to knock both his weapons from his hands and point yours to his neck. He glares, but a smile forms on his face.

“Do it, you don’t have the guts to kill another angel. Where would that get you?” You squint and grunt, teeth gnashing at his words. In your brief moment of hesitation, he manages to kick you in the stomach, staggering you while reaching for one of his blades with an outstretched hand.  
“Die!” He shouts, thrusting the blade with both hands at your head. Your hand instinctively angles itself to block the blow with your own sword, only to find it meeting flesh with a sickening squick. You peek one eye open, then both when you notice where your sword landed.

“...Oh... _shit_.” You whisper. Damien’s blade starts to tremble, before it clatters onto the ground and he falls back along with it, sliding off your sword. You drop it as you rush to stop him from falling. He coughs, blood forming from his mouth as he gazes at you. 

“Heh...didn’t think you had it in you, chicken.” You eye the wound you inflicted on him, the red beginning to stain the white in alarming amounts. 

“I...I didn’t-” you began, but he shook his head.

“Save it...you’ll get what’s coming to you soon enough.” He spat, reaching with his hand and placing it on your shoulder. “Let me just…” His hand glows, and you feel a burning sensation creep over you. You hastily stumble back, lifting the cloth and spotting a black ugly mark appear where he had touched you. You realized what he had done when you spied the symbol in the center.

He had marked you as a fallen.


	2. Introductions

Damien’s words echoed in your head as you sat with your arms and wings bound with an ethereal rope. It had been about a full day since you had accidentally slain an angel, and you had immediately been put under house arrest when they noticed your mark. The black splotch burned under your skin. You grit your teeth at the irritating feeling. A knock on the door drew your attention, and you watched as several angels stepped into the room. You stood up as they grabbed you and hauled you off towards the stairs where your fate would be determined. 

You were seated in an ornate chair, golden chains locked around your wrists and body, along with your wings. Three imposing angels sat far above where you were placed. Their gaze was locked to your shackled body. 

“Let us begin.” The angel in the center spoke. You gave no visible response. The angel on the left spoke next.

“On the day of the annual cleansing, you were tasked with your fellow angels to kill Hells’ overflowing population in order to keep their numbers down. Your track record from the previous cleansing showed you had taken not a single sinners life. As such, we gave you a second chance this year, only to squander it by killing one of our own.” They snapped their fingers, showing a photo of Damien. 

“Damien was one of our best Exorcists. For a pacifist like you to take him out is well...nothing short of surprising.” 

“Get to the point.” You groused. The rightmost angel huffed. 

“Agreed. Killing another angel is an act of unforgivable sin. Therefore, your punishment shall be-”

* * *

‘They’re going to send you back?!” You leaned back from the outburst the other angel made, crossing your arms and letting the mark on your shoulder show visibly. 

“Don’t act so surprised. It was either that or they were going to kill me. And I don’t think there’s a Heaven after Heaven.” Your friend frowned. 

“How are you so okay with this? I don’t...I can’t understand…” You shrug.

“Guess life isn’t fair no matter what state you live in.” Patting their shoulder, you turn to leave. “It was nice to see you after so long, take care buddy.

“W-wait!” The rest of their words are drowned out by the crowd of angels pouring in from everywhere. You ignored the antagonistic roar of them as you slowly made your way back to the opening in the clouds. Your boss-or former boss you suppose-stood at the edge, narrowed gaze focused on you entirely. You stop in front of her, waiting for some last minute remark.

“I always knew you were trouble. But to kill someone like Damien…” 

“He wasn’t in the greatest of headspaces. Everyone knew that. If anything I did you all a favor.” 

“A favor, huh? Is that what you tell yourself so as to not feel guilty.” You grit your teeth, refraining from socking her. “Doesn’t matter now though. What’s done is done. Anything we could do to you won’t be nearly as bad down there.” She hands you a familiar blade, wrapped in a black cloth. “Despite everything, they wanted you to have a fighting chance down there, especially after a cleansing like this.” 

“Lucky me.” With no other words, you strapped the blade to your side, preparing to jump. 

“One last thing.” You turned, only to scream as a searing pain erupts across one of your wings. A shove and a grim look from the angel was the last you saw of the white and bright place that you were living in as you unceremoniously fell from the heavens. You writhed as the pain became stronger the farther you fell, the wind cutting right through you like little pinpricks. The sky gradually faded from its blue hue to a deep red. 

It felt like an eternity before your back collided with something hard. The force of the impact along with the pain from earlier was...unpleasant, to say the least. You stared up at the now blood red sky, watching the feathers from your wings slowly fall through the air. You squinted, noticing something about them that felt off. One of them drifts close enough for you to discern what you were seeing. 

_Your once pristine white feathers were now black as night, almost burnt._

“Just my luck…” you groaned before succumbing to the pain and passing out.

* * *

“Honey, are you sure…?” 

“He did save our lives, remember?” 

“But he’s an…” In and out. You could feel yourself being dragged across the ground. The rough surface made you inadvertently wince. The wing on your back won’t be happy with you down the line. 

A few moments pass of you getting dragged and trying desperately to stay conscious. Eventually, your mind wanders and the little you can see shift rapidly and blurred to the point of near blindness. You close your eyes, too tired to do anything else. 

Waking up proves to be a struggle, so much that you close your eyes and open them several times while sitting up. Waiting for your vision to clear, you find your surroundings to be a dull red apartment room. Glancing down, you remove the thin blanket covering your lower half, shifting off the couch. You spot your sword propped up in the corner, and you instinctively reach out for it with a hand. 

You stop when you notice some noises coming from the room nearby. Glancing around, you slowly pad over to the open door, peeking into what appears to be a kitchen. It’s quaint, if not a little messy. You could see a sharply dressed imp adding something to a pot and stirring it slowly. The sound of items being moved draws your eyes to another imp rummaging through a fridge, closing it when she finds what she’s looking for. 

Your eyes meet as she turns to hand a stick of butter to the imp at the stove. Unsure of what to do, you give her a small wave. Come to think of it, both of them look familiar…

“Moxxie! He’s awake!” The other imp-who you can only guess is Moxxie-turned at the sound of his name. He eyed you warily, spaded tail twitching like a cat when you adjusted your stance to appear less threatening. An awkward silence occurred, broken only by the sound of whatever was in the pot coming to a boil. You watch as the imp used his tail to turn the heat down, eyes never leaving you as he did so. In any other situation, you’d whistle in amazement. Clearing your throat, you opened your mouth to speak. 

“Can I hazard a guess as to you two bringing me here?” The one near the fridge nodded, smiling lightly. 

“It’s the least we could do after you saved me an’ my husband from that angel the other night!” Wow. What are the odds? 

“Oh, that...yes…” you trailed off, eyes sliding away from the imp’s beaming smile. “Believe me, it wasn’t completely intentional.” 

“And what does that mean?” Moxxie asked with a raised brow.

“I...that angel who was out for you is dead. I uh, might have killed him by accident.” Both of them look at you with surprise. “I didn’t mean to! It just sort of...happened?” You said with a shrug. “In any case, long story short I’ve been exiled from heaven as a result and now I’m in Hell for the foreseeable future.” You wait for their reactions. 

“You _killed_ an angel?!” Moxxie shouted. You nodded, rubbing an arm. “Holy shit...Millie he’s-”

“A Fallen!” You winced at the term, still a little put off by the word you’ve been branded. “Guess that explains the hair and the wing.” You blinked.

“What?” you asked. The two exchanged glances, and Moxxie pointed past you and towards your back. You turn your head to see what they meant. 

“Oh…” you muttered. Now you see what Millie meant by _wing_. Sprouting from your back was only one wing, the once pristine white feathers faded into a mix of white and light gray. Thinking back, the loss of a wing was probably what caused you so much pain when falling into Hell. You curl the wing slightly around yourself, feeling the feathers. Apart from the shift in color, nothing else has changed. “It’s just one thing after another today, huh?” You muttered. 

Millie and Moxxie shared a glance. You snapped out of your thoughts when you felt a clawed hand rest on your leg, and you looked down. 

“I’m...sorry for your loss.” Moxxie nodded at you. You waved it off with a shake of your head.

“Don’t be. It’s not the worst that could’ve happened.”

“Really? What could be worse?” Frowning, you rolled your hand in a circular motion, raising it to your neck with a finger stretched out and sliding it across. The two imps winced at your implication. “Ooh, yeah…” Chuckling you rested your back against a wall and smiled. 

“Yeah. Then again, who knows? What’s life in Hell like?” Your question makes the two of them curl their tails as they tilt their heads and hum, looking at the other for help. You lightly smiled at the cute image. 

“Well…” You took a seat on the couch as the two imps told you all about the place you found yourself stuck in for the rest of your afterlife. Occasionally you’d ask a question about something, and they’d respond the best they could. 

You learned that you had landed in imp city, one of the lower regions of Hell, not to mention the equivalent of a poor district. There were more homeless than anywhere else in the city. And apparently, Hell was pretty much what most believed it would be. 

A world full of sinners and fuck-ups just trying to survive their infernal damnation. 

“And that’s pretty much all we know about our little corner of Hell.” You nodded at Millie, still processing everything you’ve been told. The imp hopped off the couch, strolling back into the kitchen as the sound of a pot being moved was heard. “So I don’t mean to be rude, but what are you going to do now?” 

You shrugged. What were you going to do? You weren’t planning on anything that had happened up to this point. Moxxie cleared his throat to get your attention. 

“Well, if you aren’t sure there is something I have in mind…” Now it was your turn to be confused. What exactly did he have to offer that he would give you? “You don’t have to agree to this, but...the place me and Millie work at is in need of some help and…” You could hear Millie gasp as she reentered the living room. 

“Mox! Don’t tell me you think-”

“Come on honey, it’s the least we could do! And he doesn’t have to do the same job we do. He could work at the office like Loona! Lucifer knows she needs someone other than us to keep up with work…” You rose a brow, wondering what exactly they were talking about.

“Uh...not to be rude. But what exactly is this job you're referring to?” Millie huffed, poking her husband in the shoulder. 

“Go ahead, won’t do us any good hiding it from him.” You couldn’t help but be a little worried by that.

* * *

“So...this is where me and Moxxie work! Pretty cool right?” 

“Um…” You stared up at the building the two imps lead you to. You weren’t sure what to say in this situation. After a little prodding, you learned that the acronym was both clever and very unsubtle about what kind of work they did here. 

You shuddered as the jingle reminded itself in your head. 

“Are you sure you want to do this? It’s not too late for you to just wait for us back home.” Millie asked. 

“Yeah. Beats waiting around doing nothing.” you say, entering the building behind the two. They lead you to an elevator, and after a few minutes of standing in the little box, the door opens to…

“Welcome to the I.M.P headquarters…” Moxie said with a grimace. It’s not hard to see why he did so. The place could look better for how high up it is located in. While not the worst, it’s very sparse. Kind of sad, really.

“It’s uh...very-”

“Empty? Sad? Not what you were expecting?” 

“...Yeah, that.” you finished lamely. Millie giggled at your reaction, walking ahead. 

“Make yourself at home! We’ll just be in the other room for a meeting.” She said cheerfully, opening another door and shutting it when Moxxie followed. You hummed in thought. They were just gonna leave you here alone?

Looking around, you spot a tanker full of eels, the classic water cooler in a corner, and a fridge. Shrugging to yourself, you stroll over and pour yourself a cup of water. Taking a sip, you let your eyes wander over to a desk next to a printer. Walking over, you find a bunch of papers stacked somewhat haphazardly to the side. An old style phone and computer monitor sat on opposite ends of the desk

You spare a glance at the pile of papers reading the one on the top of the stack.

_**Bill for the month, final warning Blitzo!** _

Along with the bolded warning was a list of things along with a price at the end. You looked at the bottom, wincing at the final price. Setting that paper down, you skim over the others. They’re all the same more or less. A bill for the previous purchases of whoever this Blitzo was. You spare a glance over to the door Millie and Moxxie went behind. 

“Hmmm…”

* * *

“So! Getting back to what we were discussing yesterday...does anyone have any other ideas for drumming up business? Anyone?”

“Well, judging by the ideas we’ve come up with so far sir, I think it’s safe to say we don’t.” 

“Ever the optimist Moxxie. Glad you spoke first.” 

“Just pointing out the facts sir.” Moxxie watched his boss pace around the table, no doubt trying to come up with some wild plan to get rich. 

“Should we do another billboard? Maybe people didn’t get the first one.”

“Still can’t afford one Blitzo.” The sharply dressed imp turned to the hellhound typing away on a phone. 

“Thank you Loona. Got any bright ideas sweetie?” The hellhound blew some hair out of her face. 

“We’d probably be better off if someone didn’t splurge on those eels.”

“Hey! It was buy one get one mandatory!” 

“I rest my case.” 

“You see sir? Even Loona agrees with me! And that’s not normal.”

“Alright fine! If you're such a wiseass how about you come up with a solution then?” Moxxie raised a finger to respond, but lowered it when his wife tapped him on the shoulder. 

“As a matter of fact sir, we do. At least, that all depends on your response.”

“Well then let’s hear it!” The two imps shared a look, standing up and beckoning the other two to follow. 

“We had an issue yesterday during the cleansing, almost died to an exterminator.” Blitzo blinked. 

“So imagine our surprise when one of their own ends up saving us!” Millie said, smiling at their reactions. 

“Get out. No fucking way, really?” Loona asked, surprised. The two nodded. 

“Long story short, they ended up back in Hell and…” Moxxie said, opening the door. 

“Add two forty three subtract that...carry the one…”  
“Loona. Did you leave our bills out in the open?” 

“Uh...maybe?” The imp and hellhound could only watch as the angel sat at the receptionist desk, his hand a blur as he wrote on the papers containing very sensitive info. He stopped upon hearing the door open, and looked up from his ramblings.

“Oh Moxxie. Good timing. What’s you and Millie’s combined salary?” 

“...I’m sorry?” The angel sighed, getting up and flipping the paper over and pointing to a spot that wasn’t marked with red ink. 

“The last thing I need written to finalize your expenses. I’ve already done the same with your bill from the last couple of months, along with whatever…” he looked at the paper “Royalty coverage is. Also, who keeps buying eels? Most of your bill comes from buying the darn things.” His eyes trailed over to the group standing in and around the door. 

“450.” 

“Millie!” 

“What?” The imp shrugged at the others. He jotted down the number, doing some calculations and putting the paper on the finished stack with the others. 

“So...that your boss?” he asked, pointing to Blitzo.

* * *

“And that’s the whole story.” you said, pausing to look at Blitzo and Loona. 

“Hot damn. You two really know how to pick ‘em, huh?” Blitzo said, circling around you once. “So, anything else you can do besides be a nerd?” 

“That depends. What would you hire me for? Money isn’t an issue to me, in case you’re still worried about your budget.” you added, already seeing the gears turning in his head. 

“Huh, never thought I’d be hiring someone from the other side. What kind of skill you got? Can you do anything fancy like your trigger happy friends from above?” 

“Uh...I mean, I’ve got this if that’s what you're asking.” You drew your sword, twirling it once and showing it to them. 

“Is that an angel’s blade?” 

“I guess? What else would it be?” 

“Makes sense. Why wouldn’t an angel have one? Anything else?” 

“I’m a fairly good shot in a pinch. I think…” 

“Can you shoot to kill?” 

“I...maybe?” 

“Great! You’re hired. Show up at 9 AM sharp and don’t be late! We’ll work out the kinks as we go along.” 

“Wha- just like that?” Blitzo nodded. Huh. “So what now?” 

“Well, since you’ve shown yourself to be capable of doing tedious office work…” And just like that, the rest of the day was spent going over your new boss’ tax forms. You still found it incredibly odd how quickly he hired you, but the reassuring glances from Millie and Moxxie made you trudge on. Time passed, and with a stretch, you wrote down the last of the information on the growing pile of papers. “I might just have to keep you on office duty every day!” You let out a breath as Blitzo slung his arm around your neck. 

“If you have this much paperwork to go through then probably…” The imp laughed at your response. Removing his arm, you straightened the pile of papers standing up and stretching again. “Is that everything for today?”

“Just about. Still can’t believe I got a real angel to work for me though. Aren’t you guys supposed to kill us sinners or something?” 

“Well yeah.” 

“So what made you rebel?” Loona asked.

“It’s...a long story.

* * *

“Well, I think that just about covers the basics. Show up with these two sluggers at 9 AM sharp! We’ll see how you do in the field tomorrow kay?” You nodded, waving Blitzo and Loona goodbye as they drove off. You turn to look at the other two imps. 

“What now?” 

“We’re going shopping! Need to restock our fridge. And uh, no offense but…” Millie pointed to your scuffed robe. “You’ll need something more form fitting if you’ll be working with us.” 

Insult aside, you spend time at the nearby grocery picking out ingredients for tonight’s dinner. You were surprised to see how similar it was to the living world. Apart from the occasional brute, the shopping experience felt just like shopping up above. Complete with agonizingly long lines. You do some people watching while you wait. 

“Everyone looks so...different in Hell.” You say. Moxxie laughs.

“Yeah, we do. I take it Heaven is different then?” 

“Mhmm. Most of us look pretty similar to how we did when we were alive. Aside from the wings and…” you stiffen when you pat the top of your head and find only your hair. “...Oh no.” Moxxie looked at you with a raised brow. 

“What? What’s wrong?” 

“I just noticed what else I’m missing.” You pointed slightly above your head and made a circle with your hands. 

“A halo?” you nod, whimpering at the missing feeling of the little ring of light. “Do you need it to live or something?” 

“No...but it’s where most of our power comes from. Without it most angels aren’t any stronger than an above average human physically.” 

“Oh…” Shrugging, you simply go back to watching other demons go about the store, trying to take your mind off of your discovery. “Oh crumbs. Do you mind looking for cooking oil? Forgot to grab it earlier.” You nod, separating from the two imps and hurrying down the aisle. 

“Cooking oil, cooking oil...uhhh…” You mumbled as you continued to search the aisle.

“Let go of me!” You stop as you hear the sounds of a scuffle. Looking around, you inch closer to the sound, stopping behind some cardboard cutout and peering behind it.

“Aww come on toots! I just wanna talk.~” An imp growled, pushing an owl demon against a shelf. 

“How many times do I have to tell you limp dicks? Fuck. Off!” The owl demon said, pushing back against the imp. You glanced around. The aisle was totally empty. You wouldn’t have too many chances to hide out in the open…

Taking a breath, you gripped the side of a shelf, pulling yourself up to the top of the aisle, using your wing as balance. As quick as you could, you made your way directly above and across from the two. Slowly, you drew your sword with one hand, angling it for the imp’s chest. 

“C’mon babe, you know you wanna.” 

“S-stop it!” Deep breaths...you put some force into one foot as you leap off the aisle, closing your wing to allow yourself to descend. 

“Ghhhkk!” The imp choked as his eyes trailed down to the bright sliver of light piercing his chest.

“Sorry to drop in unannounced.” You said, pulling the blade out and watching him fall to the ground. “You okay?” 

“Y-yeah...thanks.” You nod, reaching over her. She blinked, bracing as you moved her to the right and picked up a bottle of cooking oil. 

“Here we go. Well, take care, miss.” You turn to leave. 

“Wait!” You feel her hand grab your shoulder, and you turn your head. “Aren’t you a fallen?” You nod, turning fully to face her. 

“What gave it away?” 

“Well for starters…”  
“Miss Octavia! Where are you milady?” The owl groans. 

“I’ll be right there!” She turned back to speak, but you were already gone from the aisle.

* * *

“Can you pass me the carrot?” 

“Sure thing Moxxie.” You reach over and grab the vegetable, handing it to the imp as you stirred the pot. 

“Aw, look at you two working together!” Millie cooed. You rolled your eyes, but couldn’t help the smile that crept over your face. You chatted quietly with the two imps as you prepared the dinner. 

“By the way, what took you so long to find the oil?” 

“I uh, had to help some owl lady out.” 

“Owl lady? Wait...did you get a name?” 

“Yeah. Someone called her...Octavia?” The two imps shared a glance. “...Is there something wrong?” you ask.

“Uh...maybe?” Millie squeaked. You cast a questioning stare at Moxxie, who only shrugged. 

“The Octavia you were talking about is probably the daughter of Prince Stolas.” Prince? “Prince Stolas is...how do I put it?”

“A pervert that pays our boss to have sex with him?”

“Millie!” 

“What? It’s true!” You blink as the two play fight for a moment. 

“So I just saved a prince’s daughter then, is that bad?”

“No, if anything it’s good.” Moxxie was about to continue, but was cut off when his phone began to ring. “Ugh, speaking of our boss...hello?” Moxxie left the kitchen as he continued to talk to presumably Blitzo, leaving you and Millie to finish making the dinner. As you turn off the burner, a tap on your shoulder draws your attention. “It’s for you.” Moxxie said, holding the phone with his tail.

You take the device, holding it to your ear and speaking. “Hello?”

“Oh good, Moxxie actually listened. I’ll be brief. One of our...clients, heard you had a hand in helping his daughter not get raped, and he was wondering if he could talk to you?” Speak of the devil. 

“I...sure? Is this client the one paying you to have sex with him?” You flinch as the two imps in the room slap your back with their tails. 

“Who told you that? I-I mean uh...look can you or can you not see him?”

“Sure? I mean, he just wants to talk, right?” 

“Yeah...talk.” Blitzo mumbled. “Anyways, I’ll text Moxxie the place. You’ll be meeting him tomorrow. Make a good first impression okay?” You pulled the phone away as he hung up, staring at the black screen. 

“Well?”

“I’m meeting with Stolas tomorrow.”

* * *

“This is the place. Good luck!” You nodded at the two as they drove off. Sighing, you turn to face the massive gates that lead to a manor. You let yourself in, walking up to the expansive doors and knocking. 

“Hello? You wanted to see me Prince Stolas?” Silence. You tap your foot as you wait for any sort of response. Eventually, the doors opened. Four glowing red eyes stared down at you from the interior. The eyes moved forward into the light, revealing an owl demon with a fancy looking hat.

“Ah, you must be the Fallen angel my little starfire has told me about! Please, come in. We have much to discuss.”


	3. Drive

You sat down across from the owl demon, watching as he poured the two of you some tea. 

“How are you enjoying life in Hell?” The question throws you for a loop, and you look down into your cup for an answer. 

“It’s...different than what I’d thought it would be. You only really get glimpses of what Hell looks like as an angel.” 

“Is that so?” 

“Most of the time we spend down here is taken up by...well, you know.” Stolas nods, taking a long sip of his drink. “About your daughter…” 

“Hmm? What about Octavia?” You caught the subtle threat in his tone, and cleared your throat. 

“Is she alright? I kind of left without giving her a whole lot of time to process what happened.” 

“She’s fine. Aside from a bruise, nothing time won’t fix. Might I ask why you’re so curious?” 

“Just...looking for something to discuss I guess.” You scratch the back of your head. The owl demon hums, crossing one leg over the other. 

“Then let me ask you some questions then. Nothing you have to answer, mind.” You nodded, spending the time talking with the prince about various topics. He asked you about life in the clouds, and in turn he educated you on the inner workings of Hell. 

“So what does life in Heaven look like?” You hum lightly, sipping down some tea before answering. 

“A little similar to life here. Apart from the killings, homeless, and hierarchy. There still is a system for angels though.”

“Oh?” You motion for something to write with. Stolas produces a quill from beneath his coat, chuckling at your surprised expression. “I like to be prepared for things like this.” Giving him a nod, you draw up a little graph, watching him peer down out of the corner of your eye. 

“Starting from the bottom, the recently deceased go here. Those that have just entered Heaven get processed, and after that…” you drew a line to a little image of a tree and circle it “ we get put into Eden.” 

“Eden? Like from the bible?” 

“Kind of. Eden is the placeholder area where any angel can live in. It’s not the best, but it’s what you’ve got until you figure out what you want to do after death. Most are just happy to reunite with their loved ones, so they end up in the residential district. No fancy name there.” You draw another line, marking it with a little sword. “Of course, there’s the one that all Sinners probably know about. The one that houses anyone willing to do the cleansing.” 

You pause as Stolas narrows one pair of eyes. 

“Like Eden, anyone is welcome to join that one, and there are even benefits.” 

“Benefits like what?” Stolas growled. You gulped. 

“Fame, mostly. Angels with a lot of kills to their name are seen as powerful, and are given better equipment to further their…” you trail off. “A-anyways, it’s popular enough that there are restrictions, but one year of participation in the cleansing is mandatory for all angels.” You bite your lip, wondering if you should continue. 

“...Tell me something. Did you enjoy killing sinners?” 

“...would you believe me if I told you I don’t have a single kill to my name?” 

“Perhaps. How good can you use that blade of yours boy?” You let your eyes drift to the hilt of the blade. 

“Depends. Can you keep up, old man?” Stolas smiles, standing up from his seat. As he does, it only dawns on you just how tall the owl is. 

“There’s only one way to find out.”

* * *

“Do you think he’s alright?” Moxxie looked up from the scope of his rifle, shrugging. 

“I don’t know honey. This _is_ Stolas we’re talking about. Who knows what he wants with him.” He said, looking back into the scope. Closing one eye, he held his breath, pulling down on the trigger. The satisfying sound of a bullet connecting with the center of a target met his ears. 

“You don’t think the prince will do anything drastic, do you?”  
“Probably not. An angel in Hell is rare enough. From what we’ve seen so far, I think he can handle himself should things go south.” Millie frowned, picking up a knife that lay on the table and inspecting it.

“I sure hope so...hate for him to just bite the dust so early.” 

“You talking about Feathers?” The two imps looked up to find Loona leaning over the two, phone in hand like always. 

“Feathers?” The hellhound rolled her eyes.

“Never got a name from him, so it's Feathers for now.” 

“Feathers...I like it! It’s cute!” Moxxie could only shake his head at his wife. 

“Nicknames aside, are you curious too Loona?” 

“A little. Mostly cause I’m bored and Blitzo won’t shut up about how he’s got an angel working for him.” Loona growled. 

“I heard that. And I’m still kind of shocked how easy it was to get him to work for us.” The three turned at the sound of Blitzo’s voice. 

“You too sir?”

“It’s Stolas, Mox. Anything can happen with that freaky bird.”  
“Like how he’s been taking you and-”

“Anyways,” the imp said abruptly, “ Since we don’t have anything better to do, why not pay them a visit?”

“Don’t we have any pending clients?”

“Eh, what’s a couple hours for them? ‘Sides, kinda want to see an angel when they’re not trying to kill me.” Twirling a pair of keys, Blitzo led the others out of the building and into the company van, driving off to the Manor. 

“Y’know, I don’t think we’ve ever been near Prince Stolas’ manor before., have we?”

“Not at all, figures Blitzo would know the path by heart.”

“Oh sit on a dick Moxxie.” The imp grimaced at his boss’ words. A few minutes go by before the van parks at the front gates to the manor. Blitzo opens one of the gates, letting himself in casually. 

“Hello, Stolas? We’re here to see Feathers!” Blitzo called out. Surprising them all, the doors opened by themselves. “Well, that’s a new one. Guess they’re waiting for us inside.”

“What do you think he called him here for anyways?” 

“Knowing Stolas, it probably has something to do with sex.”

“Figures. At least he’s not going after me then.” They all chuckled lightly at his joke. A loud crash drew their attention. Exchanging glances, the group all hurried down the hall, coming to a stop at a set of doors. 

“What was that about keeping up again?” 

“Don’t get too cocky your highness.” The sound of blades crashing could be heard behind the door. 

“Are they fighting?” Millie asked, eyebrows creased in worry. 

“Sounds like it, let’s take a peek.” Blitzo said, opening the door slowly. He quickly shut it as a white blade flung itself into the wood, piercing through it partially and dangerously close to his face.

“Holy-” He began, before watching as it slowly retracted itself. Opening the door again, they watched with mouths agape as the angel they came to see was hunched over, sword stuck straight up for support.

* * *

Your body ached and screamed in pain. You could barely see in front of you. Standing slowly, you cover your mouth as the urge to cough bubbled from your chest. 

“Had enough yet?” Stolas called in the distance. 

“Not...even close…” You said, brandishing your blade once more. The owl tsks, stepping closer. 

“You have the skills boy, but you lack drive.” You wearily look up to him. “You swing your blade, but for what purpose? What drives that arm of yours to defend yourself?” You flinch as he darts forward, leaving you with barely any time to block the force of his strike. 

He follows up with a low sweep, knocking you off your feet and landing harshly on the marble floor. 

“Figure that out first.” He says quietly, offering a hand. You take it, letting the owl demon lift you to a standing position. You stare at the ground, blinking when a drop of your blood falls onto the floor. You gingerly touch the spot that feels wet, drawing your hand back and eying the crimson liquid. “We should get that patched up.” He wraps an arm around your shoulder, leading you to the exit of the room. You glance up, noticing the imps and hell hound staring at you and Stolas.

“Stolas what the fuck?! When you said you wanted to meet him I didn’t think you’d almost kill him!” 

“Oh relax Blitzy. He agreed to it.”

“He did?” They all look to you for proof. You manage a nod. Stolas leads you away, leaving the others behind. No words are exchanged between the two of you as he brings you to a separate room, sitting you down on a cot and fishing through the cabinets for a first aid kit. 

“Why do this?” 

“Hmm?” You gestured to yourself.

“That fight, patching me up after, heck, even calling Blitzo just to talk with me. What was it all for?” You asked, wincing as he wrapped a bandage around your eye.

“To teach you a vital lesson.” Finishing the bandage around your eye, he sits down on the cot with you. “Blitzy might say otherwise, but I do pay attention to things when they matter. Your status as a Fallen angel will be very enticing to those in power like me. And not all of them will be benevolent.” He puts a clawed hand on your shoulder. “Keep your wits about you, you never know who exactly to trust down here.” 

You take his words to heart, nodding. Then you narrow your uncovered eye.

“Then why did you beat me up?” He laughs.

“Apologies. I still had to test you physically. Angel you may be, but you aren’t the only powerful being in Hell.” He has a point there. As you make to stand, he holds you down with a firm grip. “One last thing. As a sort of thank you for saving my daughter.” He waves his hand, floating a sealed case towards you. Opening it revealed a ruby red stone. “While you stay in Hell, you are bound to do some...unsavory things in time. I’m not sure what you’ll do,but knowing Blitzy...anyways, just be aware that this place changes people, angels included.” As you touch the stone, it slowly shifts its color to a pure white.

“Where did you get this?”

“Picked it off of an angel that tried to harm my family. I was hoping you’d be able to tell me.” 

“...It’s a way for us to tell who’s been tainted during cleansings.” 

“Oh?” You hold the gem out for him to touch. As he does, the stone quickly vibrates, turning into the shade of red it originally was. 

“It’s not an exact tool, but it helps us determine those truly corrupt or Hellborn, so to speak.” He hands the gem back to you, and you pocket it out of sight. “Is there anything else?” Stolas shakes his head. “Alright. I’ll be going now.” With a nod, you step out of the ward and into the hall, sighing quietly.

Your footsteps feel loud as you walk back to the main entrance. You spy Moxxie pacing as you approach, waving to get their attention. You assure them that you're fine, asking if they were waiting long. 

“What? Nahhh. It’s only been like, half an hour.” Millie says, placing a hand on your shoulder. “You sure you're okay sweetie? That looks bad…” You nod, letting her hand fall off as you walk ahead of them, opening the door and leaving the manor in silence. 

“Sheesh, what’d you do to him your highness?” 

“You’re better off asking him when he’s ready.”

* * *

“Feathers, time to go!” You looked up from the pile of papers you were sorting out, standing up while putting them away in a file for later. Bidding goodbye to your boss and Loona, you and the remaining imps began the walk back home. Your gaze was fixed to the ground as Stolas’ words continued to plague your mind. 

You let the two demons lead you back to their home, where you sat on their couch and watched as they discussed dinner plans. 

“Do you want to help in the kitchen again?” Moxxie asked, breaking your train of thought. Standing, you follow him into the kitchen, where he directs you to a pot of boiling water. He gets to work on a cutting board, sliding you the ingredients which you put into the pot to simmer. You stare at the floating ingredients, a little surprised by how clean they look. Hell didn’t strike you as the place for good ingredients, but...

“Ouch!!” you quickly look up as you watch Moxxie wave his hand frantically, blowing on it a few times. 

“Everything alright?” you ask him, turning the heat down and moving closer.

“Yes, just cut my hand by accident…Millie! Could you get the first aid kit? ” You crouched to get a better look at his injured hand. You could see where he cut his finger, a small trickle of black liquid seeping from it. Millie trots in with a square box with the familiar cross on it, tsking lightly at her husband.

“Y’know, I’m starting to think you’re doing this on purpose Mox. Want me to kiss it better?” She teased. The imp blushed. 

“M-millie!” He stammered. He blinked when he felt his wrist being grabbed, and turned to look back at you. You stared intently at the open wound, then back to the imp. “Uh...is everything alright?” He asked slowly. You nodded. 

“...I could help you with this, if you want.” you mumbled. Moxxie rose a brow, giving a glance to his finger.

“Do you want to patch him up?” Millie spoke, moving to Moxxie’s side.

“Kind of? It’d be easier to show you.” Sharing a glance, the two watched as you gently clasped one hand around Moxxie’s, focusing on his finger. They gasped as a small white glow began to emanate from your fingers. After a minute, you pulled away, letting the imps inspect your work. 

“The cut...it’s gone!” Moxxie said in surprise. They glanced between you and the now healed cut several times. You fidget when they finally stop and turn to you with wide eyes.

“It’s called a miracle. All angels can do it. I wasn’t sure if it’d work on you but…” you faltered as you listened to Millie squeal in excitement. 

“That’s amazin’ darling!” She said, hugging her husband and wrapping her tail around your neck, pulling you in. 

“I have to agree with Millie.” Moxxie said, intertwining his tail with hers. You shrugged. 

“It really isn’t...like I said, any angel can do it as long as it’s not something fatal.” They let go after a minute, letting the two of you get back to cooking. As you all gathered around the table to eat, you spent some time with the couple, answering their questions about your visit to Stolas. 

After finishing up, the two of them scurried off to the living room while you stuck around to clean up. You tilted your head as you heard some strumming in the room over. Setting the last of the utensils away, you stood still as you heard Moxxie begin to sing. It was a cute song, dedicated to his wife. You watch the two share a kiss after the song finished. Looks like Hell isn’t all bad…

* * *

“Goodnight Feathers, sweet dreams.” Millie said quietly as she lugged her now asleep husband to their room. You watched as she gave you a smile before closing the door. Shuffling around, you laid your head on the arm of the couch as you pulled the sheet that was draped over you when you first woke up. Sleep quickly claimed you as the events of the day caught up.  
.  
.  
.  
.  
Your eyes snapped open, and you sat up quickly. One hand rested over the spot where your mark was. It burned as you tightly gripped it, teeth clenched as you took in several deep breaths. When it finally subsided, you slumped over. Stumbling to your feet, you made your way to a nearby window and opened it slightly, letting the cool air of the night reach you. 

“Calm down…” you said to yourself, wiping away some sweat that had built up.Taking a few deep breaths, you steadied yourself. Looking out the window, you saw a catwalk. Taking a quick glance back at the door, you stepped out onto the metal walkway, following it up to the roof of the building. You rested your hands on the stone as you sat on the edge, staring up at the red sky. 

You could see the white glow of heaven as it shined brightly against the red sky. Feels close enough just to...you caught yourself as your arm reached out to it. Knowing how close it was just made things harder. Not like you could go back anyways, not with one wing and your status as a Fallen.  
“...What am I doing?” you whispered. Though you didn’t show it, Stolas’ words gave you a lot to think about. He was right. You had nothing to work towards down in Hell. You were just going along with the flow, reacting to everything as it came to you. You groaned, tilting back and lying on the ground as the light of Heaven mocked you. All this thinking and brooding can’t be good for you…

About an hour later, you got back up and went back inside, letting the window close as you sank back into the couch, stewing in your thoughts until your body eventually caved to sleep.


End file.
